Everyone agreed that Drake had to face Milo. Even Podbe and Aiden, who initially resisted, held back after Adia's orders. It was clear that the person most affected at that moment was Drake. Milo had unearthed all his failures, exposing his weaknesses as a father, as the leader of an organization, and, above all, as someone who for years believed himself powerless.
"Let him vent," Adia said calmly, observing the scene with a blend of empathy and firmness.
"This is something between brothers," Ezequiel added, crossing his arms. His tone was serious but carried an unspoken respect for what was unfolding.
Drake advanced toward Milo with determined steps, his gaze burning with fury. "Fine, come at me, little brother. You won't be able to do anything against my super strength. Want me to rip off your other arm so they'll match? By the way, who gave you that ridiculous design?"
"It was Maos," Drake replied, pointing to the monitors where the scientist stood watching.
"Oh yeah, I remember now," Maos interjected with a proud smile from his station at the computers. "But that model's outdated."
"Yes, but it was upgraded by my chief scientist, Adrian," Milo retorted arrogantly, as if that justified everything.
Drake didn't waste another second. With his right arm transformed into a mechanical gauntlet, he threw a direct punch at Milo, who stopped it without apparent effort.
"Typical of you," Milo sneered, letting out a cold laugh. "You want to attack me like this... How pathetic! So it was all a lie about having powers. Powerless fools!"
But before Milo could continue mocking him, Drake leaped backward with surprising agility. "Materialization!" he exclaimed. In an instant, the gauntlet transformed into a gigantic hammer, which he used to strike his brother again with devastating force. The impact cracked the floor beneath them, sending up a cloud of dust.
"Not bad," Milo admitted, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his lips with an arrogant smirk. "But any machine can do that." His tone was icy, laced with disdain, as he cast a scornful glance at Akira. "Even your friends in Unit D, like Adrian, or that foolish kid in the robotic suit." He paused, savoring the effect of his words, noticing how Akira clenched her fists tightly. "If that's your power, I'm wasting my time. I'll finish you off now, starting by tearing off that mechanical arm of yours."
"That was just a warm-up, brother," Drake replied with a confident grin. "I only wanted to measure your strength. Now take this." He raised his non-mechanical hand and shouted again: "Materialization!"
Out of nowhere, a warrior identical to Milo emerged before them, solid and real. Everyone was left speechless.
"What is this? A copy?" Milo asked, bewildered.
Azulema, watching from afar, couldn't help but comment admiringly: "Wow, Drake really had this hidden up his sleeve. This is similar to our ability to create things with our minds, but there's a key difference: we can only materialize inert objects, like walls or simple tools. However, he… he can bring life to what he imagines. He makes his creations completely real. It's incredible."
The children nearby were even more astonished upon hearing Azulema's explanation, her eyes gleaming with admiration.
"Fine, I'll destroy that thing," Milo declared, charging at the copy with a ferocious roar. But the replica blocked his attack effortlessly and delivered a brutal right hook that sent him flying several meters backward.
"What's it like fighting yourself?" Drake asked with a crooked smile.
"Not bad," Milo replied, recovering quickly. "But it's strange. Your ability materializes what you have in mind and makes it real."
"If I'd known about this ability earlier, maybe I wouldn't have lost my arm," Drake reflected, his voice tinged with a mix of regret and determination.
"So this is how you imagine me, little brother," Milo mused, examining the copy with curiosity. "Very strong, but enough of these games. I'm going to destroy it."
Milo began to fight the copy of himself, moving at an impressive speed. However, they soon noticed something unsettling: the copy wasn't just an illusion or projection. It bled, breathed, and fought with the same ferocity as Milo. It was as if Drake had created a fully functional human being out of thin air.
"It's like he created a living human," Leila murmured, watching in awe as the copy blocked every one of Milo's strikes with surgical precision.
"Not bad," Adia commented softly, addressing Drake. He blushed slightly at the compliment, though he tried to hide it behind a look of concentration.
"This thing matches my strength," Milo growled, visibly frustrated. "But it doesn't matter. Then I'll destroy it the way I've destroyed others." With an ear-splitting shout, he activated his most powerful ability: "Fury Strike!"
A flash of energy surged through his arm before he unleashed a devastating punch that pierced the copy's chest. A thick liquid, similar to blood, gushed from the wound as the copy slowly collapsed, fading into the air as if it had never existed.
"Damn it! He used AURA," Aragon snarled through gritted teeth. His voice was an echo of frustration as he watched Milo openly mock him and Gabriel.
"I have my tricks," Milo retorted smugly, savoring the moment. His arrogant smile seemed permanently etched on his face, as if everything was unfolding exactly according to plan.
"Damn it… He has everything planned," Aragon muttered, casting a worried glance toward Gabriel. His disciple remained motionless, trapped in a mental limbo, struggling to process the avalanche of revelations Milo had mercilessly unleashed moments earlier.
"Stop playing around, brother. Don't make me laugh," Drake said, trying to regain control of the situation. His eyes burned like glowing embers, and he materialized a heavy gauntlet in his right hand while his mechanical arm transformed into an imposing shield.
"If that's your big trick, then you're no match for me," Milo declared with disdain, an arrogant smirk curving his lips. "I've trained for years with the best. I think it would be fair to face everyone here... and even then, you wouldn't beat me!" His mocking tone reverberated through the room, dripping with arrogance, as his eyes swept over the group as if they were mere insects he could crush without effort.
Drake's punches were quick and precise, but Milo blocked them without apparent effort. "I told you that if that's all you've got, little brother, don't get in my way." With a roar, Milo activated a fist enveloped in AURA, shattering Drake's mechanical arm with a single blow. Then, with a powerful kick, he sent his brother flying toward where Adia stood watching with a Stoic expression.
"Wow, you weren't even good enough for a warm-up, little brother," Milo mocked as Drake struggled to get to his feet, blood dripping from his mouth. Eduard and Ezequiel rushed to help him, supporting him between the two of them.
"Take it easy. Maybe if he didn't have that power, you could stand a chance against him, but with the power of AURA, he's on another level," Eduard whispered, trying to calm Drake.
"It's our turn," said Aragon, turning to Gabriel. But Gabriel remained paralyzed, lost in a deep state of shock. "Fine, I'll go alone then." Without hesitation, Aragon lunged at Milo, activating the second form of AURA: TIFIDEZ.
His fists glowed with intense energy, hardening until they seemed indestructible. He was ready to cut through his enemy with a single strike. However, Milo stopped the attack cold, grabbing Aragon's fist with disconcerting ease. "The second form... Not bad," he remarked disdainfully. "But you should've used the third." Before Aragon could react, Milo roared: "NUBIA DRAGON RAGE! "
An explosion of energy engulfed Aragon, burning him from the inside like liquid fire. He was violently thrown against a wall, leaving a deep mark as he collapsed.
"If you were so strong, why didn't you show those abilities during the fight against Urion?" Adia asked coldly, seizing the moment to intervene.
"Because it wasn't fun," Milo replied with a twisted smile. "Besides, I wanted to see how powerful a guardian could be."
Adia launched her chains, intertwining them with Megumi's rock magic. "With me!" she shouted, and the rocks and chains flew toward Milo at full speed.
"A bunch of rocks and chains? They can't stop me," Milo declared, breaking the chains with a careless motion while his fists shattered the rocks as if they were glass.
"So you're strong. How about you try hitting me?" Mukio appeared before him, defiant. "I think you're tough because you can take hits and return them with greater intensity. But you've never faced this." Milo unleashed a punch imbued with AURA, sending Mukio flying several meters backward.
However, Milo didn't stop there. He charged at Megumi, who quickly raised a wall of rocks to protect herself. But the wall was destroyed in seconds, and Megumi was flung several meters back, crashing to the ground with a muffled cry.
"Megumi!" Akira ran to her, launching laser beams and missiles at Milo without much thought of strategy.
"Not bad, kid," Milo admitted, dodging the attacks with agility. "But next time, aim for the head." With a devastating headbutt, he sent Akira flying through the air.
"Who's next?" Milo smirked arrogantly, but his expression changed when Adia created a gigantic ball of fire that forced him to retreat. The explosion lit up the room, and Milo growled under his breath: "That hurts, damn witch."
Before he could recover, he felt a brutal punch to the face that made him stagger. Adora stood before him, her eyes filled with determination. "You and I have the same power. Let's see who's stronger," she challenged, throwing another direct punch.
"Not bad at all, girl. You caught me off guard," Milo admitted, though his tone remained mocking. "But you're no match for me." Enveloping his body with AURA, he charged at Adora with tremendous force. The girl was sent flying into one of the walls, landing with a dull thud.
"You're the only one who can truly face me, witch," Milo said to Adia, his voice carrying a mix of disdain and respect. However, before he could continue, a bolt of lightning struck him with great force, forcing him back several steps.
"Ray Breath," Podbe declared as Milo turned to where the small dog stood, his eyes gleaming with determination. "I thought that hit would keep you in check, mutt, but it seems you want to keep fighting."
"Podbe, be careful!" the children shouted from the shadows, their voices heavy with concern for the brave canine.
The dog responded with a determined bark before charging at the villain once more. This time, he activated his Hardness ability, coating his claws with the golden glow of Golden Claw Slash. With a fierce growl, he lunged at Milo, clashing directly against the fist enveloped in AURA. Both powers collided in an explosion of energy, but neither seemed willing to yield.
"But I have another hand, foolish dog," Milo declared coldly, sending the canine flying with a devastating punch.
"Minus 200 Health Points," Reia announced urgently.
"Damn it, that attack took half my health bar, even with Hardness activated," Podbe growled as he struggled to get back on his feet. Before he could advance again, Aiden gently picked him up, cradling him in his arms. The boy turned him over to look into his eyes and, at that moment, noticed something unsettling: another crescent moon was glowing on the dog's right side, this one oriented to the left.
"One more," Aiden murmured, surprised. "What is this?" he asked, his voice trembling as he gazed at the canine.
"I must go, Aiden. At least I have to try," Podbe insisted, his gaze indicating how Milo was defeating everyone one by one. The others tried to face him, but each ended up either battered or mercilessly repelled.
"I told you all to come at me at once," Milo sneered as he skillfully dodged Adia's sword attacks. "You're already boring me."
"Alright, Podbe, go… but be careful," Aiden finally said, reluctantly setting the small dog down. At that moment, a message appeared in the system: "You cannot defeat him. He is a very strong enemy. You must flee."
"Is he really that powerful?" Podbe asked as Reia read the system message aloud to him.
"Well, we've faced others who said the same or something similar, and we didn't give up," the dog replied with determination. "I'll go again."
"Be very careful, Podbe," Reia and Aiden warned in unison, their voices heavy with concern.
With renewed resolve, Podbe charged at Milo once more. This time, he unleashed his Firehead, launching himself directly at the villain. Flames engulfed Milo's body, but he quickly released his AURA power, extinguishing the fire with a mere wave of his hand.
"Is that all you've got, little mutt?" Milo sneered, grabbing Podbe with brute force. He delivered a brutal punch to the dog's stomach before slamming him into the ground with a deafening crash.
"No, Podbe, no!" Aiden screamed through tears, watching as his companion collapsed.
"Zero Health Points," Reia announced in a sad, restrained voice.